PLAYER
THE
SUNDAY WITNESSED
THE THIRD Tiger WD
from an event in as
many years—each
one in a big-name
tournament. In 2011,
TW pulled out of the
Players Championship
citing knee and Achilles
pain and at the previous
year’s tournament he
withdrew on the 7th hole
with a neck injury he
thought was a bulging
disk (be careful how you
pronounce that one).
While his latest
complaint has turned
out not to be too
serious, since 2007
Woods has endured
a worrying list of leg
injuries that can’t be
ignored.
He first ruptured
his right Achilles in
December 2008, just
six months after having
reconstructive surgery
on his anterior cruciate
ligament in his left
knee. That came after
arthroscopic surgery
on the same knee to
repair cartilage damage
in April 2008. In 2010
he again struggled
with Achilles soreness,
needing cortisone
injections to relieve the
pain he was feeling. And
at last year’s Masters he
suffered a minor sprain
of the medial collateral
ligaments in his left
knee, and another in his
left Achilles. Repetitious
injuries do not fill you
with confidence.
WE’RE CONSTANTLY
BEING reminded of
how Tiger’s one of the
world’s best athletes.
His fitness regimen
is legendary. Yet the
frequency with which
his body is starting to
fail him is concerning.
Staying healthy remains
the biggest challenge
standing in the way of
his assault on Jack’s
record.
Gone, it seems, are
the days of watching a
wincing, limping Tiger
fight through the pain
of tibia stress fractures
to overcome Rocco
Mediate at an epic
US Open. He did that
on one good leg. The
problem is, these days
he doesn’t even have
one of those. OTG
“ Staying
healthy remains
the biggest
challenge
standing in
the way of his
assault on
Jack’s record.”